Liberty optimistic after another offseason of changes

New York is coming off 11-23 season; UT's Jackson joins roster

Published 5:30 am, Monday, April 23, 2007

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The New York Liberty remain optimistic even though they are coming off the worst season in franchise history and traded their marquee player earlier this month.

One year after losing four starters from the previous season, the Liberty traded the remaining holdover from 2005 — three-time All-Star Becky Hammon — in a draft-day trade that helped upgrade the frontcourt. New York selected Texas forward Tiffany Jackson with the fifth pick, and then dealt Hammon to San Antonio for Ohio State centerJessica Davenport, the No. 2 overall pick.

(The Liberty will host the Comets on July 20 and visit Toyota Center on Aug. 7.)

"We're still in the process of rebuilding," Liberty coach Pat Coyle said Monday at the team's media day. "I think we're further ahead than we were a year ago. With the young talent we brought in, these kids are bigger and more athletic. It's just going to take time for them to really learn the pro game. Once they do, we'll settle in and we'll be fine."

New York finished last season with a losing record (11-23) for just the second time in the league's 10-year history. The Liberty endured a franchise-record 11-game losing streak, and had four losses by at least 33 points, including a franchise-worst 37-point defeat at home against Seattle.

"Last year, we let everybody know was rebuilding," Liberty senior vice president and general manager Carol Blazejowski said. "We had some placeholders. The goal was to get younger, get more athletic, get bigger. It just took us through last season and into this season to get a few breaks, a few opportunities and we were able to make some big changes."

Although the Liberty have lost Hammon's scoring — she averaged 13.9 points per game the last three years and was the league's top free-throw shooter last season— the 6-5 Davenport and 6-3 Jackson provide an inside presence the team has been lacking.

"The deal we made, in the long run, had to be made," Coyle said. "I don't think you ever really replace someone like Becky. The players we brought in, the combination of that, will help."

New York was last in the league in rebounding, 13th in the scoring — ahead of only expansion Chicago, which had a WNBA-record 29 losses — 11th in scoring defense, and tied for 12th in field-goal shooting.

Davenport averaged 17.7 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.95 blocks over 130 games with the Buckeyes, and Jackson 15.6 points and 8.4 rebounds in four years for the Longhorns.

"Obviously we're going to run more things for the people that have come in," Coyle said. "I've always been an inside-out coach. With the additions we've made this year, that's really going to help us. We're able to throw the ball inside and have something good happen. If not, we'll throw it back out. ... When you have bigger players, that helps."

The Liberty, among the league's top 3-point shooting teams in previous years, still have some deep threats in Erin Thorn, Shameka Christon, Cathrine Kraayeveld and second-round draft pick Shay Doron from Maryland.

"We are balanced now, we have inside presence as well as our guards on the wing," Christon said. "I don't think teams are going to be able to just focus on the (perimeter players ). We have post presence now."

After reaching the WNBA finals in four of the league's first six years, the Liberty have missed out on the postseason in two of the last four and have won just one postseason series during that stretch.

"We're a perennial playoff team, and then last year it was just awful early on," Blazejowski said before noting the team won seven of its last 10 games. "We hit our stride the back end of the season. I have to give the kids credit, they persevered. No one likes losing. We finished out good. So our goal is to build where we left off last year."

The Liberty open preseason play against the Connecticut Sun at Bridgeport, Conn., on May 5. New York will open the regular season at home against Chicago on May 20.